Instagram

One company

open protocol: no

move your account and keep your followers: no

hub: Meta

Posts live only on Meta's service; outside apps reach Instagram only through Meta's APIs, and only for professional accounts. Threads, its sibling built on Instagram accounts, can share posts to the fediverse, but not for users in the European Region, and Instagram itself does not federate. No way to move an account with its followers to another provider was found; data downloads do not count here.

• Meta for Developers, Instagram Platform overview (updated 16 Sep 2026)read 28 Sep 2026
• Instagram Help Center, turn on sharing to the fediverse on ThreadsAre located outside the European Regionread 28 Sep 2026

Targeted ads · subscriptions

Advertising was $196.2bn of Meta's $201.0bn revenue in 2025 (97.6%, computed from the 10-K), and the 10-K names Facebook and Instagram as where it is earned; Instagram's revenue is not reported separately. In the EU, EEA and Switzerland users choose between free use with ads (personalised, or less personalised since November 2024) and a subscription for no ads at €5.99 a month on the web or €7.99 in the apps; Meta Verified is a separate paid tier in 'other revenue' ($2.6bn, 1.3%). In April 2025 the Commission found the binary pay-or-consent model offered until November 2024 breached the DMA and fined Meta €200m; Meta has appealed.

• Meta Platforms, Inc., annual report 10-K for 2025, revenue by sourceSubstantially all of our revenue is currently generated from marketers advertising on Facebook and Instagram.read 28 Sep 2026
• Facebook Help Center, about subscription for no ads (covers Facebook, Instagram and Threads; EU prices)While you are subscribed, your information will not be used for ads.read 28 Sep 2026
• European Commission, Commission finds Apple and Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act (23 Apr 2025)the choice of a service that uses less of their personal dataread 28 Sep 2026

Listed company

control: Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq); Mark Zuckerberg holds 60.8% of the votes

Facebook agreed to buy Instagram in April 2012. Class B shares carry ten votes each, and Zuckerberg holds 99.8% of them, giving him 60.8% of the total voting power as of 1 April 2026; the 10-K says he controls the outcome of any shareholder vote, including on a merger or sale of the company.

• Meta Platforms, Inc., proxy statement 2026, controlled company status and security ownershipMr. Zuckerberg controls a majority of our outstanding voting powerread 28 Sep 2026
• Meta Platforms, Inc., annual report 10-K for 2025, risk factorsOur Class B common stock has ten votes per shareread 28 Sep 2026
• Meta, Facebook to acquire Instagram (9 Apr 2012)Facebook announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Instagramread 28 Sep 2026

Ranked, with a non-profiled option

Meta's AI system selects and orders the posts in the Instagram feed by predicted relevance. Users can switch to 'Following' or 'Favorites' to see followed accounts newest first, with no recommended content. Since August 2023 EU users can also view Stories and Reels only from people they follow, in chronological order, and search without personalisation.

• Meta Transparency Center, Instagram Feed AI system card (updated 29 Jun 2026)To see content from accounts you follow in reverse chronological orderread 28 Sep 2026
• Meta, new features and additional transparency measures as the Digital Services Act comes into effect (22 Aug 2023)view Stories and Reels only from people they follow, ranked in chronological order, newest to oldestread 28 Sep 2026

The operator

Meta's own technology and review teams enforce the Community Guidelines on Instagram. No user-run spaces with their own volunteer moderators, like Facebook groups, were found on Instagram.

• Meta Transparency Center, detecting violationsTechnology and review teams help Meta detect and review potentially violating content and accounts on Facebook and Instagram.read 28 Sep 2026

Trains its own AI, with an opt-out

a setting or form to opt out: yes

Since 27 May 2025 Meta trains its generative AI models on public posts and comments by adults in the EU and on their interactions with Meta AI, on the basis of legitimate interests, with an objection form reviewed by the Irish DPC. Private messages and under-18s' accounts are excluded, per Meta. No licensing of users' content to third parties for AI training was found.

• Meta, making AI work harder for Europeans (Apr 2025, updated 27 Mar 2026)can choose to object to their public data being used for training purposesread 28 Sep 2026
• Irish DPC, statement on Meta AI (21 May 2025)Updated and easier to use Objection Formread 28 Sep 2026

No ID needed

verification: Yoti

Read off the verification layer, where its sources are.

Closed source

licence: proprietary

Read off the code layer, where its sources are.

296.8M a month in the EU

counted: average monthly active recipients in the EU, as the DSA requires them

period: Jan–Jun 2026

Meta Platforms Ireland's Art. 24(2) figure for 1 January to 30 June 2026, published in the Instagram DSA transparency report of 28 August 2026. Meta estimates it from monthly active users and says it does not count unique people, since some people hold several accounts.

• Meta, DSA transparency report for Instagram, January to June 2026 (published 28 Aug 2026), average monthly active recipients tableread 28 Sep 2026